Featured Fighter – Meghan Dutton

May 18, 2013
By: Meghan Dutton

BASIC INFO:

Name: Meghan Dutton
Age: 23
Hometown: Manotick ON
Occupation: Recreation Programmer
Diagnosis: Stage 2A Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
If you were a professional boxer or wrestler, what would your name be?
Icebreaker

HER FRIGHT:

In September 2009, I found a lump in my neck. Quite honestly, I was more scared then and for those 3 months it took to finally get a diagnosis than any day since. Waiting and knowing something was wrong was so frustrating. I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at the end of December and started chemo in January. I was only 20 at the time and just starting my second semester of a new program in college.

HER FIGHT:

My fight began in September when I knew something was wrong. I felt the lump in my neck, and had also gone to a walk-in clinic about a sinus infection thinking the two might be related. I knew in the back of my head, though, that things were probably much worse. If it weren’t for going to the walk-in clinic, I am not sure how many more months it would have taken to get diagnosed. I only had the one symptom of a swollen lymph node, which can happen to anyone from any type of infection and so rarely means cancer. It took a while, but finally getting a diagnosis put my mom and doctor in tears. It was a huge sense of relief to me, though. My fight continued with 6 months of ABVD chemo every second week. I still went to school and still worked as a lifeguard because I didn’t really know anything different. In June of 2010 I finished chemo, and after getting my PET scan results I was officially in remission as of July 30th, 2010.

FIGHTING HER FRIGHT:

I connected with another cancer patient who was a young adult going through treatment for Hodgkin’s at the same time. It was nice to be able to compare symptoms and ways to treat different side effects. Cancer has been a part of my extended family and friends for as long as I can remember, so I felt somewhat aware of how things would work. In June of 2011 I was asked to share my story at the Relay for Life in Ottawa Centre. It was a great opportunity, and allowed me to connect with more people in my community.

I found Young Adult Cancer Canada soon after this and attended the 2011 Survivor Conference, and have subsequently attended the 2012 Retreat Yourself Adventure, 2012 Survivor Conference, as well as the 2013 Retreat Yourself Alberta. This has been the best way for me to fight the fright by meeting other survivors. I have begun volunteering in January with the Canadian Cancer Society and have had quite a number of speaking opportunities where I can connect with other cancer survivors and their caregivers and supporters. Learning not to be afraid all the time has been the best lesson for me.